Ready, Set, Grow: Online Resources to Grow Your Business
August 5th, 2008
WORD COUNT: 377 Short … Yet Resourceful Words
TIME to EXPLORE : * 1 1/2 MINUTES *
Are you ready to grow your business, but need capital, a little extra help, or someone to point you in the right direction? Here are some online resources to help you on your journey.
LOOKING FOR CAPITAL?
For statistics and news, got to The National Venture Capital Association’s site at http://www.nvca.org
See “Angel Investor News” at http://angel-investor-news.com
The Angel Capital Association is North America’s professional alliance of angel groups. For more information, see http://www.angelcapitalassociation.org
To list your investment opportunity, see Ace-Net/Active Capital, an online clearing house for business owners and people looking to invest in small businesses. http://acenet.csusb.edu
To locate a factor, check out The Commercial Finance Association at http://www.cfa.com
Springboard Enterprises at http://www.springboardenterprises.org is a national, nonprofit dedicated to helping women access equity markets.
The Small Business Innovation Research program provides grants up to $750,000 to fund research, development and commercialization of technology, products and services. See
http://www.sba.gov/sbir
READY TO GO INTERNATIONAL?
A portal for accessing all federal export related assistance can be found at http://export.gov
See The Export Import Bank of the United States at http://www.exim.gov . They provide financing for the expert of U.S. goods to international markets.
The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) helps U.S. business invest overseas. See http://www.opic.gov
THINKING ABOUT GROWING WITH FEDERAL CONTRACTS?
Business at http://www.business.gov is the official business link to the U.S., government.
The federal government point of entry for procurement opportunities above $25,000 is at https://www.fbo.gov
The Minority Business Development Agency is a federal agency that fosters the establishment and growth of minority-owned businesses in America. See http://www.mbda.gov for information about financing business and business opportunities.
The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council is the leading third party certifier. See http://www.wbenc.org for more information.
SOME GOOD OVERALL RESOURCES
American Express OPEN helps Small Business Owners find tools and resources. See http://www.open.americanexpress.com
An online television network dedicated to news and information for small businesses is at http://sbtv.com
Entrepreneur Magazine online – http://www.entrepreneur.com
Inc Magazine online http://www.inc.com
The National Association of Women Business Owners is at http://www.nawbo.org
The National Women’s Business Council is a bipartisan federal advisory council that offer research and statistics for women-owned businesses. See http://www.nwbc.gov
The Small Business Administration http://www.sba.gov
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce represents the political needs of business owners. See http://uschamber.com
Enjoy your journey!
Your friend and partner in enlightened entrepreneurship,
Copyright© Laura Cardone 2008. All Rights Reserved. This is a Daily Discovery Series edition. http://www.profitswithpurpose.com is for business owners and professionals who are passionate about creating a successful business, AND a fulfilling and balanced life. Profits with Purpose Inc.
